CRWRL Round One Wrap

There were tries galore as Round One of the Canberra Region Wheelchair Rugby League Autumn Season kicked off yesterday at the Queanbeyan Indoor Sports Centre.

With teams adorned in vibrant jerseys, there was plenty of skills on show from both teams, with all signs pointing to a healthy competition ahead in the coming rounds.

The White Bears team, which was comprised of mostly players from Wagga Wagga, were the first team to score with Zac Carl scoring in the third minute.

Jaimz Knight was the next to score for the White team, and with the successful conversion giving the White team a 10-0 lead in the sixth minute.

Briley Sentance hit back for the Red Bears team scoring next in the ninth minute but was unable to convert successfully.

Carl scored next for the White Bears team which was then immediately responded by the Red team with Mitchell Sentance scoring as well as converting successfully.

At the 15th minute mark, the score was 16-10 with both teams playing at a frantic speed.

Carl and Knight would then put on show of their wheelchair skills to both score two more tries before half-time to give the White Bears team a 30-10 lead at half-time.

The first half was action packed with players from both teams not afraid to put their body on the line, with some of them coming out of their wheelchairs.

However, there were no injuries suffered and plenty of sportsmanship on show.

The second half started well for the White Bears team, with Brad Burns scoring in the 32nd minute, with the conversion giving the White Bears team a steady margin.

Knight would then cross over for his fourth try in the 35th minute, before a Zac Carl masterclass would be on display.

Carl would score the next five tries in the 39th, 41st, 47th, 50th, and 53rd minutes to blow the margin out despite strong defensive efforts from the Red Bears team.

With conversions by Kale Popple (2), Brigid Baker and Carl the score going into the final minutes was 68-10.

White Bears captain Toby Popple put the icing on the cake scoring in the 57th minute to give the White Bears a convincing Round one victory.

The final score was White Bears 72 (Tries: Z Carl 8, J Knight 4, B Burns, T Popple; Goals: Z Carl 3, K Popple 2, J Knight, B Burns, B Baker) d Red Bears 10 (Tries: B Sentance, M Sentance; Goals: M Sentance)

It was an all-round effort from the White Bears team who showed great defence while also having some serious explosive weapons in attack.

Carl and Knight were clear standouts for the White Bears team, scoring a combined 12 tries between the Wagga pair.

However, they were supported greatly by the efforts of both Brad Burns and Brigid Baker who also were great for the White Bears.

The score did not accurately represent the closeness of the game, with the Red Bears team showing great determination and grit despite the score line.

For the Red Bears, the Sentance brothers, Briley and Mitchell, were very good in defeat as were the efforts of Chris O’Brien who showed great effort all game.

After such a brutal encounter, the two teams will get a deserved few week break before Round two commences on the 2nd of May.

It is not too late for interested players to join for the remaining games of the Autumn season, with the hopes to have a third team up and running by the time Round two commences.

For interested players please contact jpilosio@raiders.com.au for more information.